How does digital competence training affect teachers' professional development and activities?

Abstract

For the purposes of this study, teachers received collaborative and applied digital competence training in creating interactive e-books. After the training, the changes in these teachers' perceptions of digital competencies and how teachers plan to use their experiences while performing their profession were examined. Case studies provided data for the methodological approach. Data collection tools employed included surveys, diaries, and focus group interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed through the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. Qualitative data were analyzed based on the deductive analysis method. The study found that the training on digital competence enhanced the knowledge and skills of the teachers, particularly in the areas of improving professional engagement, using digital resources, organizing teaching activities, improving assessments, and empowering learners. The study found that thanks to the training and practices introduced, teachers from various fields were able to advance organizational communications and cooperation using digital technologies. In addition to that, they developed a variety of digital content formats compatible with existing student requirements as well as curriculum objectives. In their professional endeavors, the teachers planned to implement the insights they gained in offering assessment-evaluation, providing feedback to students, organizing learning-teaching activities, and actively engaging learners via digital technologies.